Centrifugal fluid vanes compressor

ABSTRACT

A centrifugal fluid vanes compressor for making an effluvium move in the direction of rotation of the fluid vanes and for compressing it, comprising a compression chamber bounded by two parallel walls between which the fluid vanes formed by a flowing fluid which emerges at a high velocity through openings in a rapidly rotating driven rotor, are rotating. The compressed effluvium is discharged and the fluid of the fluid vanes is collected in a fluid reservoir from where it is recycled via a pump. The improvement consists in that the distance between the two parallel walls gradually increases from the center in radial direction in accordance with the increase of the thin layer of fluid that remains behind on the walls from where it may be discharged to the fluid reservoir via at least one interrupted or noninterrupted annular slotlike opening provided concentrically with the rotor.

United States Patent [72] inventor Pieter Van Staveren Pijnaelrer, Netherlands [21] Appl. No. 19,758 [22] Filed Mar. 16, 1970 [45] Patented Dec. 28, 1971 [73] Assignee Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast- Natuurwefen-Schappelljk Ondenoek Ten Behoeve Van Nijverheld Handel en Verkeer, The Hague, Netherlands [32] Priority Mar. 20, 1969 33 Netherlands [31 6904345 [54] CENTRIFUGAL FLUID VANES COMPRESSOR 3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 417/67, 55/406, 55/229 [51] Int. Cl F044: 19/00, 801d 47/ l 0 [50] Field of Search 415/204, 206; 417/66, 67, 68, 80, 81, 82; 55/406, 407, 394, 229

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,195,707 4/1940 Nutting 55/407 1,998,784 4/l935 Mock 415/219 1,785,918 12/1930 Stebbins... 55/406 FOREIGN PATENTS D4l9,325 9/1925 Germany 55/406 Primary Examiner- Henry F. Raduazo Attorney-Watson, Cole, Grindle & Watson ABSTRACT: A centrifugal fluid vanes compressor for making an effluvium move in the direction of rotation of the fluid vanes and for compressing it, comprising a compression chamber bounded by two parallel walls between which the fluid vanes formed by a flowing fluid which emerges at a high velocity through openings in a rapidly rotating driven rotor, are rotating. The compressed effluvium is discharged and the fluid of the fluid vanes is collected in a fluid reservoir from where it is recycled via a pump.

The improvement consists in that the distance between the two parallel walls gradually increases from the center in radial direction in accordance with the increase of the thin layer of fluid that remains behind on the walls from where it may be discharged to the fluid reservoir via at least one interrupted or noninterrupted annular slotlike opening provided concentrically with the rotor.

mmlzunmzam SHEET 1 UF 2 FIG.1

PATENTEU UECZBLEYI 3,630, 41

' sum 2 [IF 2 INVENTOR.

CENTRIFUGAL FLUID VANES COMPRESSOR The invention relates to a centrifugal fluid vanes compressor for making an effluvium move in the direction of rotation of the fluid vanes and for compressing it.

Such compressors are known in the art. The vanes are thereby formed by a flowing fluid, which emerges at a high velocity through openings in a rapidly rotating driven rotor. By the differences in pressure existing between the fronts and backs of the bent backward vanes thus formed, power is transmitted to the effluvium again and again trapped between two vanes. With a view to an efficient transmittance of power care must be taken that these differences in pressure over the vanes are maintained as well as possible; with other words leakage from the low-pressure side to the high-pressure side of the vanes must not take place.

Therefore the distance between the two walls bounding the compression chamber must at least be equal to the height of the vanes that must touch the wall.

Because these walls are stationary, however, or rotate with a much lower velocity than the fluid vanes as described in the copending Netherlands application No. 6904345, filed Mar. 20, 1969, the fluid of the vanes immediately adjoining the walls is restrained and initially remains on them as a thin layer.

Thereby the fluid vanes with their sides do not only move past the walls but also through a thin layer of fluid.

This causes a much greater loss of energy than when the friction of the fluid vanes would occur only at the walls. The loss manifests itself in an amount of fluid that is withdrawn from the fluid vanes and remains behind on the walls.

At a greater loss more fluid remains behind and the layer is thicker. Thus the initially formed thin layer of fluid along the walls causes this layer to become rapidly thicker towards larger diameters of the compressor chamber.

This results in the fluid vanes being thinner and thereby maintain a smaller difference in pressure between their front and back sides.

Moreover by that thickness of the fluid layers remaining behind on the walls part of the compressor passage is occupied.

It is an object of the invention to provide a fluid vanes compressor the output of which is improved.

It is a further object to eliminate the adverse affect of the fluid layers that remain behind on the walls of the compressor chamber.

It is another object to improve a fluid vanes compressor by removing the fluid layers that remain behind on the walls and by recycling them into the process.

These and other objects of the invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the drawings, in which:

H6. 1 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of fluid vanes compressor utilizing this invention.

HO. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a detail of the fluid vanes compressor of FIG. 1 in an enlarged scale.

The compressor shown in FIG. 1 comprises a compressor housing 1, which has been assembled with a fluid casing 2.

Centrally in compressor housing 1 a rotor 3 has been mounted, which is mounted fixedly on a shaft 4, which is driven by an electromotor 7 via cogwheels and 6. Rotor 3 has been provided with blades 8 for suctioning an effluvium to be compressed, for example air, through a suction nozzle 9. Further rotor 3 has been provided with jets 10, which have been connected to a fluid supply duct 11, which via an adjustment device 12 has been coupled with a pump 13 which is connected to fluid casing 2.

The chamber within which the fluid vanes are formed is bounded by walls 14 and 15, which gradually diverge from the center.

It is self-evident that the extent to which the walls have to diverge depends upon several parameters, such as vanethickness, vane-height, number of vanes, speed, etc., because the aim is that the sides of the fluid vanes continue to touch the fluid layers in order to prevent the leakage mentioned before.

Because the fluid vanes operate under morev ideal circumstances, viz as if they have only friction with the walls and the passage of the compressor chamber is not reduced by the remaining fluid layers, considerable more power can be transmitted to the fluid to be compressed.

It is also possible to improve the operation of the centrifugal fluid vanes compressor according to the invention still further, if the layer of fluid remaining behind on the walls of the compressor chamber is removed in the process of compression.

Preferably in the plane of the walls, concentrically with respect to the rotor, an annular slotlike opening which may be interrupted at certain places, can be provided for discharging of fluid remained behind on the walls, with the distance between the walls, immediately after the annular slotlike opening being substantially equal again to the distance in the center immediately after the rotor.

Both walls have, concentrically with respect to the rotor, been provided with annular slotlike openings 16 and 17, which have been connected to annular collecting channels 18 and 19. These collecting channels 18 and 19 are in open connection with fluid casing 2 via discharges 20 and 21.

Collecting chamber22 of the compressor is likewise in open connection with casing 2.

It may also be advantageous, if several of such interrupted or noninterrupted annular slotlike openings are provided concentrically one within the other in the plane of the walls. Together with the fluid of the fluid vanes from the compressor, the fluid layers discharged in this way are collected in fluid reservoir 2, from where it is recycled via pump 13.

The compressed gaseous effluvium is separated from the fluid in casing 2 by ways known in the art with the aid of partitions 28 and then discharged via outlet 27.

In FIG. 2 on a strongly enlarged scale a detail of the compressor is shown, from which it appears clearly that fluid vane 23 emerging from rotor 3 is bounded by fluid layers 24 and 25 formed on walls 14 and 15. These fluid layers are discharged via slotlike openings 16 and 17 to collecting channels 18 and 19, while via passage 26, of which the distance between walls 14 and 15 is again equal to the distance between the walls near rotor 3, the fluid vane is flung into collecting chamber 22 of the compressor.

It will be obvious that some variation in structure and arrangement may of course be resorted without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claim.

1 claim:

1. A centrifugal fluid vanes compressor, comprising:

a compression chamber having a central inlet for a gas;

a driven rotor disposed generally in the center of the compression chamber,

said rotor being provided with vanes for suction of gas through the central inlet and having jet channels extending therethrough;

a fluid supply duct including a fluid pump connected to the jet channels of the rotor;

a fluid reservoir in open communication with the compression chamber and connected with the fluid pump,

said reservoir having a discharge pipe for the compressed gas,

said chamber having a pair of spaced walls disposed on opposite sides of the rotor and extending radially outwardly away from the rotor,

said walls being disposed such that the distance therebetween gradually increases over a major portion of the radial extent of said walls as the radial distance from the center of the chamber increases.

2. A centrifugal fluid vanes compressor as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least one of the walls has an annular slotlike opening therein for discharging fluid from the walls, said slot being disposed generally concentrically relative to said chamber, the distance between the walls adjacent the opening radially outwardly thereof being substantially less than the distance between the walls adjacent the opening radially inwardly thereof.

3. A centrifugal fluid vanes compressor as set forth in claim 2 wherein the distance between said walls adjacent the opening radially outwardly thereof is substantially equal to the distance between the walls at the center of the chamber.

: i v a a 5 

1. A centrifugal fluid vanes compressor, comprising: a compression chamber having a central inlet for a gas; a driven rotor disposed generally in the center of the compression chamber, said rotor being provided with vanes for suction of gas through the central inlet and having jet channels extending therethrough; a fluid supply duct including a fluid pump connected to the jet channels of the rotor; a fluid reservoir in open communication with the compression chamber and connected with the fluid pump, said reservoir having a discharge pipe for the compressed gas, said chamber having a pair of spaced walls disposed on opposite sides of the rotor and extending radially outwardly away from the rotor, said walls being disposed such that the distance therebetween gradually increases over a major portion of the radial extent of said walls as the radial distance from the center of the chamber increases.
 2. A centrifugal fluid vanes compressor as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least one of the walls has an annular slotlike opening therein for discharging fluid from the walls, said slot being disposed generally concentrically relative to said chamber, the distance between the walls adjacent the opening radially outwardly thereof being substantially less than the distance between the walls adjacent the opening radially inwardly thereof.
 3. A centrifugal fluid vanes compressor as set forth in claim 2 wherein the distance between said walls adjacent the opening radially outwardly thereof is substantially equal to the distance between the walls at the center of the chamber. 